Gambling addict Anne Dalton stole $100,000 from public purse and ruined her own life, court told

An Adelaide court has heard that a woman's gambling addiction led to defrauding the public purse of $100,000.

Anne Elizabeth Dalton, 65, was found guilty of 271 counts of deception.

She was a manager at the Family and Youth Services Department (FAYS) branch at Modbury in Adelaide between 1999 and 2003.

The District Court heard Dalton made emergency funds applications for bogus victims of domestic violence, supposedly to help them find alternative accommodation.

Prosecutor Peter Longson said Dalton claimed to be a champion of women but stole the very money from the public purse which was earmarked to help them.

"Anne Dalton held a position of trust at the FAYS office at Modbury. She had access to a renewable fund of public money - money which she treated as her own," the court heard during sentencing submissions.

"She... used the plight of women who were subjected to domestic violence as a front and cover for her uncontrollable compulsion to play the pokies.

"She stole from the public purse the very money earmarked to assist those women and children.

"She claimed to be a champion of women... [but] lied, manipulated and stole."

Mr Longson said Dalton used public agencies such as the police, Modbury Hospital and the courts in bogus applications to provide "a cloak of legitimacy for her actions".

He said Dalton's offending was calculated and required much planning, including coming up with street addresses where the actual premises might have been an electricity substation or a tennis court.

The prosecutor said Dalton also gambled away her husband's employment entitlements and had ruined his life.

"That is conduct that is morally reprehensible but Your Honour is not required to sentence her for that," he said.

"Her offending spans over four years. She was in a privileged position. She had access to resources including people who could have helped with her addiction."

Woman in denial

Anne Dalton is the author of her own depression, she chose this path

Prosecutor Peter Longson

Mr Longson said Dalton was in denial of her guilt.

"Anne Dalton has had 10 years of freedom. She's now 10 years older than when she got tapped on the shoulder. This all could have been sorted out all those years ago in the Holden Hill Magistrates Court," he said.

"We still have a denial that it all happened. There's no acceptance of the jury verdict, there's no remorse or contrition.

"Anne Dalton has known from the get-go that she was guilty because she made up these 271 applications.

"She has shown a complete disregard for the community of this state. She has a narcissistic sense of entitlement and her hubris in this offending has been breathtaking."

He asked the court to order Dalton to repay the money.

Dalton 'fell off the path of righteousness'

Defence lawyer John Lyons argued Dalton had no capacity for restitution.

He urged the court to consider imposing a home detention sentence rather than prison.

"This is a woman of good character. There is no doubt about it, on the jury verdict, that this woman fell off the path of righteousness," he said.

"For the last two weeks Mrs Dalton has been on the high-risk register for people at risk of suicide.

"This lady is going to suffer badly while in prison. She is going to suffer more than what would normally be expected for a prisoner.

"My client has a whole list of ailments. They're all serious but the one that should be considered most serious is her suicidal ideation. The bottom line is Your Honour that this lady does have a serious problem with physical and mental health."

The prosecution said Dalton's illnesses could be taken into consideration but did not represent a "get-out-of-jail-free" card.

"It's arguable that Anne Dalton has better access to health care than many other South Australians who are law-abiding," Mr Longson said.

"I don't submit that she isn't depressed. If she wasn't depressed that would be a concern. She has ruined her life.

"Anne Dalton is the author of her own depression, she chose this path."